• CRADLE TO GRAVE
1 699m below ground surface. This crusher’ s twin, Crusher Six, is being installed currently with an expected commissioning dated of December 2026.“ Eventually we will be able to hoist up to 32 000tonnes / day of copperbearing ore.( Scan this QR code to view a short excerpt of the interview with Coetzer.) https:// youtu. be / YYXio8k5Yu8
Shamdu Mudziwa, manager Crushers and Conveyors, who is managing the most recent Crusher Six configuration, explained,“ While the machine itself is identical to the design of Crusher Five, the team has incorporated lessons learned from the first installation – refining maintenance access, improving the configuration of the ancillaries, and adjusting spatial dimensions for better performance underground.”
Schoonbee elaborated on the magnitude of what the team had achieved.“ The uniqueness of these crushers lies in their ability to be split into sections so they can be transported around 1.7km underground. This has never been done before with a crusher of this size. Previously, at Lift I, we had four jaw crushers installed at the top level. Now, we have installed just two gyratories – each capable of the total throughput of all four before. The breakage profile is better.” In a sector where efficiency, footprint reduction and safety of movement underground matter immensely, this achievement represents a decisive leap forward for underground mining innovation.
Southern hemisphere’ s largest mining fan station Package manager for Lift II ventilation, cooling and water-handling, Gavin Meredith, detailed his team’ s recently constructed, scale model of PMC’ s new upcast fan station. He explained,“ This is the largest mining fan station in the southern hemisphere. We have installed four fans, and operate three at any given time. Each fan is driven by a three-megawatt motor – equivalent to about twenty Hilux bakkies running at full power – and can process up to 400m 3 / second of air, with a total of 1 200m 3 / second.”
Each impeller weighs around 9 tonnes and is 4m in diameter – making these the largest mining fans by diameter in South Africa, and the third largest by kilowatt-rating. To ensure optimal airflow and avoid cavitation, the entire station was designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics( CFD) analytics – the same simulation technology used in Formula One. Every interaction between the fans, ducting and internal structures was tested virtually before being approved.
“ The station,” Meredith noted,“ is interlocked with two PLCs feeding a live SCADA system display in our control room. Although the system will not start a fan automatically, if another trips, the system is automated in the sense that the station is monitored and controlled for safety. With the push of a button, every start follows a controlled sequence that protects both workers and the national power grid. The station will run through a whole start sequence, with radial control vanes that open to ensure a soft start.”( Scan this QR code to view a short excerpt of the interview with Meredith.) https:// youtu. be / WYP3ikA4224
Just as compelling, is another safety initiative – PMC has installed a breathable air backup system in the mine’ s underground refuge bays. This will kick in if the compressed air or power is lost while people are in the refuge bay. Oxygen cylinders have been installed, as well as a scrubber to scrub out the CO2. This alternative system is capable of keeping up to 100 people alive for eight hours. Backup power runs for 36 hours, supplying a further time buffer to enable successful extraction of the workforce.
Rise of smart processing in copper recovery Eric Mualusi, Copper Recovery manager and head of operations and technical management for the flotation plant and dewatering plant took us through the application of Advance Process Control( APC) by integrating froth sensor cameras with Programmable Logic Control( PLC). His section commissioned froth sensor cameras as Phase One of the VisioFroth Project APC to improve real-time flotation monitoring.“ In line with our Lift II project, we aim to achieve 88 % copper recovery. Our cameras allow us to see exactly what is happening on the surface of the flotation cells,” he explained.“ In Phase II of the project, we are looking at implementing APC, in which the data from our cameras will be integrated with the PLC and automatic set point for real time immediate response and will contribute to improved response time and overall plant efficiency.”( Scan this QR code to view a short excerpt of the interview with Mualusi.) https:// youtube. com / shorts / 1AOos81eZcU? feature = share
This work directly feeds into the comminution team, led by Bridget Mayayise. The two departments collaborate closely – copper recovery feeds the mills, and mill performance affects the entire downstream plant. The team is currently overcoming one of the most challenging operational constraints – a lack of coarse material, essential for autogenous milling.
Converting mills for a new ore reality Mayayise, Comminution Operations manager, explained,“ Currently, the mine is transitioning from Lift I to Lift II – undergoing a copper contraction phase whereby there is less ore coming from UG Lift I at a lower copper head grade with high fines content. Without coarse rocks, the autogenous mills cannot operate efficiently resulting in low throughput, because autogenous mills rely on large rocks as their grinding media.” To adapt, the team converted one of their autogenous mills( AG) into a semi-autogenous mill( SAG), introducing steel balls to compensate for the lack of coarse feed.
Schoonbee added that while AG-to-SAG conversions have been done before, they remain technically uncommon.
“ These mills were never originally designed to house grinding balls,” said Mayayise.“ So, we had to retrofit special liners. We increased the liner angle from seven degrees to 24 degrees to control the trajectory of the balls and avoid them hitting the mill shell directly – that would damage the lining.” The conversion represents a case study in practical engineering agility – reconfiguring existing assets to meet modern ore characteristics and sustainability expectations.
Magnetite, tailings and the power of rehabilitation The conversation then moved to a tailings-reclamation study and for the long-term sustainability of the Palabora Copper Mine and the construction of a disc filter plant for dewatering and filtration of magnetite product. Ndinanwi Mulaudzi, project manager for the Tailings Storage Facility( TSF) study and Disc Filter Plant, explained
72 • African Mining • January 2026 www. africanmining. co. za